brainstrorming a phylactery idea

[Idea Man]

1: I've been toying with the idea of making the lich's phylactery out of his own spellbook. Would gutting the spellbook of its pages count as "destroying" it, or would that just spread it out? The danger in keeping the book, obviously, is that it will take longer than 1d10 days to get all the fun spells out of the book (probably).

2: Any recommended spells for traps on the book? I'm thinking Wail of the Banshee, Symbol of Insanity, and Flensing (it's in theme for this foe).

3: Would Maze and Gate be a good combo for a set of door trap spells? Maze has the benefit of not requiring a save, and a resonably high intelligence check (20). The Gate spell would be preset to be a calling, of course, probably some demon the lich had dealings with before. As the lich probably won't be present at the time of the trap going off, and a dimensional lock on the whole area, the demon will be stuck (and angry!).

[Chronos]

Would gutting the spellbook of its pages count as "destroying" it

Yes, and it also wouldn't interfere in any way with transcribing the spells. I'd go for some other idea.

For traps, the problem with Maze is that the creature is released unharmed after not too many rounds. The spell's main utility is in breaking up groups of enemies, so you can deal with a few at a time, but if you don't have anything else challenging your enemies at the same time, it's worthless.

And with Gate, yes, the demon will be angry, which might mean that it decides that, since you got it stuck on the Material Plane, it might just destroy your phylactery in revenge. Bad idea.

[Jayngfet]

the spellbook is risky, because any lich with a full book can have ether lots of books or a really heavy one

in regards to traps, I recommend combining a teleport circle with a swinging scythe, swings, misses, bomes out of midair, strikes the wall, comes out the floor, disappears back into place

or maybe a huge rock that hits multiple circles, falling farther and doing more damage

or the rock hits a circle on the floor, and comes out a wall in the last room, smashing into the doorway, trapping them.

[Idea Man]

@Chronos - I was thinking as much. Maybe hide something in the spine of the book...hmm.

The point of the maze/gate trap is that it seperates the enemy. Four PCs become three, and the rest get a nasty surprise. It's really just for fun. I don't want to abuse my party any more than I already have. It just seemed to fit with a conjurer-themed BBEG. Personally, I expect the archmage (Int 28) to spring the trap.

As a side point, the trap would be for the door outside the phylactery room. I suppose the demon might go straight after the phylactery, but he might just vent his frustrations, first. Chaotic evil, maybe I should just flip a coin?

@Jayngfet - I was planning on dimension lock, although the BBEG has enough control over his domain he could have devised a loophole he could exploit, for his spells only. Actually, teleport circle to a "cage death match" would be kinda cool, too. Then again, a little scythe damage, just to keep them on their toes, would probably be more humane. Heh heh.

[Mewtarthio]

Mind rape always makes a good trap. If they open your spellbook without being undead and saying the password, then you erase their entire memories and leave them insane.

[Khanderas]

So many wonderful traps.

BUT, a spellbook you keep with you, and that is in itself a good and a bad thing.
The good thing is that you keep track of it and noone suspects why you have it near you.

The bad thing, is it is near you, so when you are slain you have lost your phylactery as well. If the heroes take the spellbook back to an archmage (knowing full well it will be heavily trapped) you will regenerate next to it. Bad thing. Unless you want to be continously harvested for spellcomponents (Im sure half formed liches are good for some stuff).

Now having your phylactery near a reserve spellbook in a stone shaped room without exits is far better. Regenerate, relearn spells, scry your killers and revenge on your terms (undetectable everything as per usual).
Edit: oh and make sure to leave a decoy phyactery that looks nice, is trapped, has the "proper" magic auras but does nothing.

[Roderick_BR]

An interesting idea is to put the spellbook inside an area full of effects that benefits undead, and harms living creatures.
Place a desecrate spell, maybe within an item, and a anti-life shell (would be though, since it's a druid spell), and something that permanently casts a negative energy wave (or something, I don't remember the name), that whenever someone enters, starts getting damage continually, while the lich and his minions benefit from it.

For using the book itself, if there is no wizard in the group (having only bards and sorcerers as arcane casters), he is screwed

[Burley]

I've had an idea for a phylactery that I've been wanting to get out, and it's open for people to use/abuse.
Basically, the Lich hides a compartment in the "throne room" of his "fortress" (change names as needed for your campaign). The compartment is high on a wall, or even in in the ceiling. The compartment made of lead, and the door is attached to a clockwork device that opens the compartment automatically every 10 days or so, letting the phylactery fall out. Since it's clockwork, the party wouldn't be able to use detect magic, nor would it work since the compartment is lead.
So, the goodies kill the Lich, and after a few days the compartment opens and the phylactery is falls out, letting the Lich regenerate right in his own "throne room."
To be fair to the PCs. I'd roll percentile dice to let the hatch open in front of them...say 95-100 is a free shot at the phylactery for them. (I know: Mathmatically, it'd be less than a percentage that it'd open during the ten minutes they'd actually be in the room, but let's give them some help, ah?) Also, once the Lich is defeated and there is the downtime for looting, the PCs can make Listen checks, DC 20 (givin' 'em a chance). If they succeed, they hear ticking and gears turning. They'll think they set off a trap and run...fast. Hopefully, they'll run without taking the Lich's equipment, and he can get dressed again when he regenerates.

[nargbop]

I'd tweak the phylactery a little bit.
I'd make the phylactery 500 feet on a side, with turrets, and guards, and trapped rooms and a throne room... The PCs would run around the magical evil castle for days and days and not figure out how to keep the lich from respawning. Maybe put in dozens of secret rooms with little trinkets in them that look like they might be phylacteries, but are freaky cursed items instead. Or filled with TNT.
Then they figure it out, and somebody casts Earthquake, and it all falls down.

[FatherMalkav]

I'm curious, is there any rule against CURSING your phylactery? Or would it affect you in any way if you did this then reformed?